A report released by the National Audit Office has revealed that the monarch has been paying for his niece’s rent in royal residences, despite them not being working members of the Firm11:29, 05 Jun 2026King Charles has been paying for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s rent at their homes within royal residences, a new report has found. In a lengthy report issued by the National Audit Office (NAO), it has been revealed that the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor paid market rent for their London homes, with Beatrice having an apartment in St James’ Palace and Eugenie having a cottage within the Kensington Palace grounds.‌However, the investigation by the NAO concluded that Beatrice and Eugenie have had no out-of-pocket rent expenses for their London homes, with the cost being picked up by the Privy Purse - the King’s private income from the Duchy of Lancaster.‌‌The report states that property rented out by the Royal Household in occupied royal palaces is adjusted to typically 60 per cent of open market value for non-working members of the Royal Family.However, both the sister’s adjusted accommodations were based on out-of-date market valuations from 2018 for Eugenie’s rent of Ivy Cottage, and 2020 for Beatrice’s apartment in St James’s Palace.No details of how much he the King pays for Eugenie and Beatrice’s rent were released by the NAO, with the watchdog saying the amounts were private.‌It is understood the arrangement for the Privy Purse to pay the York sister's rent was put in place by the late Queen with Eugenie paying herself for renovations to her cottage at Kensington Palace. If you can't see the poll, click here.Former Liberal Democrat minister and expert on royal finances, Norman Baker, said: “There’s no way that non-working members of the royal family should be subsidised by the Duchy of Lancaster. The royal family is yet again taking the public for a complete ride.”‌He added: “Andrew’s daughters Eugenie and Beatrice have been benefiting from hugely generous sweetheart deals for their accommodation, paid for out of Duchy of Lancaster money. And that means that less profit has been passed to the Treasury from the Duchy than should have been.”Neither Beatrice or Eugenie have ever been working members of the Royal Family, as they each have their own private careers. Beatrice is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the software firm Afiniti, and Eugenie, a director at Mayfair art gallery, Hauser and Wirth.Beatrice, who is mum to daughters Sienna and Athena, is married to millionaire property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and they also have a luxury home together in the Cotswolds, said to be worth £3.5million.‌While Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank, who previously worked for George Clooney’s tequila brand Casamigos, is now said to work in sales for a luxury development in Portugal, meaning the couple and their children split their time between there and London.In response to the report, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "We are grateful to the National Audit Office for this report, which is in line with The Royal Household’s commitment to transparency. We hope that the findings will help correct, clarify or contextualise a number of points regarding Royal properties.Article continues below"As the report notes, arrangements for properties managed by the Royal Household vary based on a number of factors to ensure residences are filled appropriately, depending on their location, tenants and purpose."